English Literature / Drama GCSE: Julius Caesar - Act 3, Scene 1 - Killing Caesar (workshop)

CYRIL NRI:Shakespeare dealt with gods, kings and men brilliantly. But, when any one of those steps above where they can be or should be, trouble ensues.

How do we know who goes in when? Who stabs him when–

PATERSON JOSEPH:"Speak, hands, for me!" is the first stab and that’s Casca's line, so I think we're locked into that.

CYRIL NRI:Casca starts, it tells us that Casca is the first–

JOSEPH MYDELL:I'm the first.

GBOLAHAN OBISESAN:Right.

JOSEPH MYDELL:We know that Casca indeed is supposed to make the first thrust. 'We know that Casca also is very close to Caesar,' so therefore that’s why he's able to make that first thrust. 'Caesar would not be suspicious of him being so close to him.'

CHINNA WODU:I feel like it's more Casca's waiting for the right moment.

GBOLAHAN OBISESAN:That’s right.

CHINNA WODU:Because the line "Casca, be sudden" means use the element of surprise.

PATERSON JOSEPH:Yeah.

CHINNA WODU:So he's waiting for the right moment–

JEFFERY KISSOON:When Casca starts, everybody has got to be in there.

CHINNA WODU:"O Caesar–"

JEFFERY KISSOON:"hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?"

ANDREW FRENCH:"Great Caesar–"

JEFFERY KISSOON:"doth not Brutus bootless still stand?"

JOSEPH MYDELL:"Speak, hands, for me!"

SCREAMING

JOSEPH MYDELL:It's so strong that line, "speak, hands, for me!" And so I take my cue from that, knowing that I sit back, I wait, and I wait for the right moment, I allow Caesar to pontificate and puff himself up - and then.

JEFFERY KISSOON:From all these brave, honourable men - the blow is a behind the back blow.

CHINNA WODU:Exactly.

JEFFERY KISSOON:Which says something about the strength of Caesar, that he has to be behind him–

ANDREW FRENCH:Well it's Caesar, it's no small thingto stab Caesar.

JOSEPH MYDELL:Oh no, no.

ANDREW FRENCH:Better make sure it works!

JOSEPH MYDELL:Absolutely.

JEFFERY KISSOON:Yeah but it means he's also like a raging bull, whatever. He's capable of defending himself it seems.

JOSEPH MYDELL:"Speak, hands, for me!"

SCREAMING

HEAVY BREATHING

JEFFERY KISSOON:"Et tu, Bruté?"

PATERSON JOSEPH:'"Et tu, Bruté?" And you Brutus? Are you going also going to kill me? 'One of the most famous lines in all of Shakespeare isn't it?' It's like Caesar is saying "I loved you all. And I thought you all knew that I loved you. But you, especially you Brutus."

JEFFERY KISSOON:In our production… his only hope-- because he's still standing there, he hasn’t gone down, he's very strong, they've all stabbed him, and his only hope would be Brutus, who's like a son to him.

PATERSON JOSEPH:So well if… the person that I loved the most is going to kill me then I'd rather die than live.

JEFFERY KISSOON:'"Et tu, Bruté?" "Then falls Caesar."

SCREAMING

JEFFERY KISSOON:'In our production, Caesar,' he covered his head and Brutus stabbed him in the private parts.

PATERSON JOSEPH:And there is no more violent act that I can think of. 'It's a very visceral act, the stabbing of Caesar in that way.'

CHINNA WODU:"Liberty! Freedom!" "Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets."

CYRIL NRI:"Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!" The freneticism is shown in the language, in its jagged languagein not quite having the plan in – Nobody quite knows when to act. And as with these things, it goes way over the top.

GBOLAHAN OBISESAN:There's no self-respecting human being within the audience who would see them going at this savage act and go, "Oh my god, I completely support the way they carry out their actions."

PATERSON JOSEPH:It is a play that… that touches heart strings, it's not about the intellect it's about how do you feel about this, though?

GBOLAHAN OBISESAN:As an idea, it sounded brilliant. The way it's carried out - it's savage.